Heater unit



. Aug. l2, 1952 P. D. KILBURY HEATER UNIT Filed Nov. 4, 1950 INVENToR. Paul D. Ki I bury,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1952 .UNITED STATES l:*A'I.-`IE`.INITv4 "Q -FFI.CE;

' ,2,606,994vr Y I I HEATER UNITV Paul-D. Kilbury, Hawthorne, 'Calif.' Applicationnovember 4, 195o, lserial No. 194,066

Theipresent. invention relates. generally to.v heaters :for fluid medium, and is.more'.particu.. larly concerned. with self-contained'.heaterfunitsg oflthe type which maybe mountedin the space,l to be. heated or `in somer remote location; with,

ducts;` provided to transmit the .air,.and which distributes a heatediluidr medium; such; as air',

byhigh velocity discharge from` a blower. orfan.

Heaters, of thistype are especially adapted for; utilization in the heating Aof large rspacesrsuoh .as warehouses, stores, markets, homesofces,zsani toriums, and the like.

Itv is. one objectv of .the present invention ,to` pro-r vide aheater of this typein which .thefheatingi is .accomplished electrically, which is 'economical and efllcient in operation; which issogconstructed that. largel quantities ofV air4 willbe subjected L to.

the heating elements, land which; may be f quickly v started and stopped as required withminimum:

heat: lossesi A further object is to providein .devicesfof theA herein describedv type.. an: improvedrheating.

chamber of novel constructiomwherein `,theiluid medium-to be heated is guided tor they heating:

elements and apportioned in accordance-with-.the

distribution of heating surfaces ofthe heating element.

Another object,- ofk the present. invention'r resides in the provision of novel-means for apply-`V ingv a supplemental circulation of vfluid-1 medium,-

such as air, through the heating element-so as to, cool the. heating; element supports and yefliciently. utilize a greater amount ofthe heat gen eratedn by the heating elements.

Still another object is to provide a--unique base structure forv the heating unit, rwherein-.the parts ofthe base are associated to provide/anbei(V in whichstheelectrical connections may becarried.. tothe heating.y elements, and inwhich thev box.

may alsobe utilized as an inletheader. for conf ducting va supplemental now cialr tothe heating elements.

Further objects of the inVentionwillbe brought outJ in the followingl part.` ofA the speciiicatio'n,Y wherein detailed description isforthepurpose of fully disclosing. the inventionA without placing heatingchambentaken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig. 2'; and` 8j Glaims; (Cl. 219f-39) 2 Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view-showingthe constructionv of one of theheating elements; taken'substantially on line 4-4 of Figs 3'.

Referring now generally to the-drawings,V Fig; 1 illustrates a heaterunit accordingl to the present invention. The heater unit briefly comey prisesa base structure, as generally indicated by the numeral I0, which serves as a support forsa` blower II elevated above the baseand having a driving connectionwith an electricfmotor I 2'.

Theblower II hasan outlet duct I3extendingv fromV its periphery for directing a high velocityI discharge of air from one side of the base struciture'. Inletto thebloweris` through anlaxially connected duct I4 which is secured to .the .blower casing. by means ofsaplurality' of circumferen-- tially spaced bolts. I5iwhich, permit.angularfadjustment of the outletiduct I3 to yyary'thediree. tion of dischargel fromthe. blower as .requiredor varied:v installations.

Provision. is `made for heating; therl inlet' air; toi the blower, when necessary,r a heater as 'generally indicatedV by -the, numeral.. I6 beingzmountedr4 on the basen structure. on*v the; opposite. sideof the. blowerfrornthe-,driving motor I2. This heateris` of substantially:l cylindrical constructiongand comprises; a heating Vchamber, I'Ir surrounded-by:v

an inner rwall I3v which is formed'by a plurality ofI spaced vertically extending baffles I9 which are spot-Weldedor otherwise suitably, secured; at their lowerr ends; to. a ring member 207,4and yat their upper ends to a vflared top wall memberfll. which is connected at lits apex with the inlet'duot I4 by means ofan elbow22.

A plate 23 is supported upon the upper flanges of side rails-24 'and l25 of thefbase -structurepthis4 plate formingv the bottom of the heating chamber. and extending outwardly-beyondthe.inner wall I8 to form a support for an outer wall section v26 which is connected at its ends to a verticallyA extendingplatemember 21 by means of bolts 28.

The outer wally section ZBfand plate-member 2.1 f

cooperate with the inner wall I8 to providek an annular inlet 29 for fluid medium atthe upper end of the heater I6. Thus, the. entering iluid will flow downwardly and into. the. heatingY chamber through the spaces between` the. bailles I9.

Referring to Figs. 3 and'4, it will be notedl that.v

the chamber I'Ihas mounted therein a plurality of tubular upstanding core members 30of heat resistant material which serve as a support for; a coiled heating element 3|. sol formed are mounted in circumferentially spaced relation in the 'chamber II, each ofztlie'n cores ,having a bottomimountingfange 12'-which is4 secured to` thebottom plate 2'3VL by boltsv 33'Y The heating' units which extend through the plate and through a terminal block 34 on the opposite side, the bolts being threadedly associated with nuts 35. The terminal block 34 is provided with passages 36 through which connector conductors are carried to the heating element, these conductors passing through an opening 31 in the plate 23.

As shown in Fig. 3, the opening 31 is of such diameter that it will extend beyond the side edges of the terminal block 34 so as to leave space for flow of supplemental air upwardly through the bore 38 of the core members 30 to cool the interior of the heating unit and collect heat from the interior of the core members. This air combines with the main yair which is distributed by the blower Il. l

It will be observed in Fig. 3 that the spacing between the baffles i9 is not uniform. This is due to the manner in which the heating surfaces of the heating elements are distributed. As

shown, the spaces, as indicated by the numeral- 39, radially opposite a heating unit are of less area than the spaces, indicated by the numeral 40, which admit air between adjacent heating units. With this arrangement, the eiciency of the heater is maintained at a high value and the -inlet air is more uniformly heated than would be the `case if all the baffles were uniformly spaced apart. This is an important feature of the present invention, the one which contributes to a large extent to its efficient and' economical operation.

The base structure is of box-like construction, the side rails 24 and 25 being closed along their top flanges by the bottom plate 23 of the heater means of a conventional connector 46. The electrical wiring is thus protected and concealed in such manner that personnel cannot inadvertently make electrical contact with the conductors,`thus providing a very desirable safety feature.

The perforations or openings 44 in the end wall members permit flow lof supplemental air into the box-like structure whichV thus serves as a header for the air which is drawn through the respective heating elements.

From the foregoing description it is believed that it will be readily apparent that the heater unit provides a unique arrangement by which the indicated objects will be accomplished.

l. .In a forced air heater: a base structure having side rails associated with a top wall, a bottom wall and end walls to form a box-like assembly; means supported on the top wall and cooperating therewith to form a heating kchamber for a fiuid medium, said chamber having a top outlet for discharging heated fluid in an upward direction and a side inlet; a plurality of upstanding electrical heating units in said chamber in the ow path of fluid medium from said inlet, said heating units being mounted over openings in said top wall of the base structure and circumferentially spaced around the projected `axis of said top outlet; electrical connections to said heating units carried through the interior of the box-like base structure and said openings; and a supplemental fiow path for fluid medium including openings in at least one end wall of said base structure, the openings in said top wall, and passages in said heating units.

2. A heater for a fluid medium, comprising: means dening a heating chamber for said fluid medium, said chamber having an outlet and an inlet; a plurality of upstanding electrical heating units in said chamber in circumferentially spaced relation; a plurality of circumferentially spaced baffle members outwardly disposed of said heating units in the flow path of fluid medium from j saidside inlet, larger spaces being provided between certain of said baille members for admitting air between and into heat exchange relaadmitting air radially inwardlyV into heat ex-l change relation with each of said units; and means for conducting a separate flow-of iiuid medium through each of said heating units.

3. A heater for a fluid medium, comprising: means defining a heating chamber for said fluid medium, said chamber having a top outlet and a side inlet; a plurality of upstanding electrical heating units in said chamber in circumferentially spaced relation; and a plurality of circumferentially arranged baille members outwardly disposed of said heating units having first separating spaces for radially admitting air between .adjacent units for heating thereof, and second separating spaces for admitting'air radially opposite each of saidunits, the first spaces being of a size to provide greater flow than the second spaces.

4. A heater for forced circulation of a fluid medium, comprising: means including a bottom wall defining a heating chamber for said fluid medium, said chamber having a top outlet for discharging heated fluid in an upward direction and a side inlet; a plurality of members of heat resistant material in said chamber having flow passages therein, said members being supported in upstanding position on said bottom wall in the path of flow of said medium from said inlet to Asaid outlet, and having their flow passages circumferentially spacedA around the projected axis of said outlet in communication with iiuid medium inlet openings in said bottom Wall; and electrically energizable heating elements carried d. by said members.

5. A heater for forced circulation of a iiuid medium, comprising: a Vsubstantially cylindrical heating chamber having a bottom wall, a top wall containing an outlet for directing heated fluid v:in an upward direction and an inner side Wall let; an outer side wall spacedA from said inner., side wall and cooperating therewith to denne at 1 its top an annular inlet opening for said medium ;v

and heating means within said chamber in the flow path of said medium from said spaced ow openings.

6. In a heater unit having a power driven blower for circulating a heated fluid medium, a heater for the fluid medium, comprising: a heating chamber; an inlet duct and an outlet duct connecting with said chamber, said ducts being in concentric relation about a common axis; heaters in said chamber arranged `about said axis; and baffles in the flow path of fluid from '5 the inlet duct to said chamber, for directing uid now past said heaters in a direction generally toward said axis.

7. A heater unit, comprising: a base; a blower having a directive outlet at one side only of said base, and an axial side inlet; means for driving said blower; an air heater supported adjacent one end of said base having an outlet connection with said blower inlet, and a horizontal annular air supply inlet surrounding said outlet connection; and means in said heater for heating said air during passage therethrough.

8. A forced air heating unit, comprising: a base structure; a blower housing supported on said structure having an air impeller therein rotatable about a horizontal axis; a side inlet duct to said housing admitting air at the axis of said impeller; an outlet duct from said housing for directing an outlet air stream from said impeller; external means on one side of said housing having a driving connection with said impeller; a

6 chamber on the opposite side of said housing having an inlet and an outlet in concentric relation with respect to a vertical axis, said outlet being connected with said side inlet duct; and air heater means in said chamber.

PAUL D. KILBURY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

